Posts Tagged ‘battery’

The following 2012 BMW 335i review was submitted by one of our readers, Scott V.
Want to see your review or impressions published? Click the ‘Submit your AutoSpots’ link above.

First impressions say a great deal about how things will go with the relationship you’re about to enter. As a current BMW owner, the new F30 335i had a lot to live up to. The first impression was a bit of a letdown at first sight. The new design was longer and wider, and the new front end and headlight design left something to be desired.

The model I drove essentially had every available option with a sticker price north of $57,000. Yes, that’s $57,000 for a 3-series and it’s not an M3, but rather a 335i.Read more »

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did what they do and crash tested a Chevrolet Volt. One particular test simulated a 20 mile-per-hour, side-impact collision which resulted in the Volt received an impressive five-star crash safety rating.

At the conclusion of the test, the ERV was shunned to the NHTSA bone yard to rot away with the other victims of the crash test. But that is not where this story ends – after three weeks of sitting, the Volt caught fire. It is suspected that the crash test punctured the Volt’s lithium-ion battery which somehow resulted in a fire.

According to a GM spokesman, this is the only crash tested Volt to catch fire and further research is being done to determine if this was a fluke or a design flaw.

Here in Houston, at Autospotters HQ, we pay ten cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used. With the Volt fully charged, we were averaging thirty miles on a full charge. According to the Volt’s own computer, it took approximately 10 kWh’s of electricity to go thirty miles. Ten cents equals one kWh, one dollar equals 10 kWh’s, 10 kWh’s got us thirty miles, so one dollar equals thirty miles.